Things Go Bump In The Night
by jacksparrow589
Summary: On a simple mission, Riza finds herself fighting for her life, and must face the reality of losing. One shot.


It took all Riza's effort to keep on running. For all that she was a military woman, long-distance running was never something at which she had excelled.

What was a simple mission to go in, arrest insurgents, and get out had turned completely chaotic after the detonating of explosives all over the compound. Separated from everyone else, and almost completely in the dark, Riza was beginning to wonder if this place was more of a maze than it seemed.

FLASHBACK

_They scattered as he swung the weapon. The very tip slashed a thin line across Riza's shoulder. She cried out._

"_Run!"_

_The command was given before she could think to pull her gun. Anyway, what good would her gun do her if it took more time to get it out than she had left to live? The weapon made its arcs far too quickly to stop._

_Riza dashed toward the door just as the charges went off. She was thrown against the wall, winded for the first time that night._

_She lay there for a moment, dazed and gasping, until the rock sheet that had fallen between her and her attacker split neatly. His maniacal grin was completely visible, the moonlight serving only to make it more eerie._

_With the first adrenaline that entered her system, Riza got to her feet and ran, her life depending on every step._

_However she was not far enough away to be unable to hear most of his frightening promise: "You can't get away for long! I'll find you! And when I do…"_

END FLASHBACK

The words that kept echoing in her mind were what kept her running. She had not stuck around long enough to hear the end of the threat, but it was nothing good. The leader –the one who had made the threat- had some large weapon that she had not clearly seen. It was a blade of some sort, of that much she was sure.

_Oh great; a dead end._ The only way to go was up the stairs, bringing her farther away from the door than she was comfortable with, not that she was exactly comfortable in the first place.

Her lack of concentration cost her; her foot caught the top step, spilling her on the floor and winding her momentarily. She pushed herself up much faster than her body wanted to, scraped palms and knees screaming in protest, and her lungs heaving, trying to keep her breathing.

It was after only a moment's rest and a look around to memorize the area (dark red stains that looked black adorned the wall in the moonlight in a gruesome pattern of death) that Riza began her mad dash again.

_Left. Left. Right. Right. Right. Left… where are the stairs? They should be around here somewhere!_

"Uaaaaagh!"

The scream made her stop. She was sure she knew the voice.

"Uaaa-" The second was silenced quickly. Riza felt her stomach bottom out. _No. He's okay, he __**has**__ to be!_

Before she could restrain herself, she yelled, "Colonel?" then clapped a hand to her mouth as she began to run again.

Heavy footsteps thudded somewhere around the same floor, but she did not know where. She strained to look and listen at the same time, praying that her pursuer was friend, not foe.

She rounded a corner, finding an unmoving body (dead or merely unconscious- she did not know, and she did not want to think about it), and suppressing a scream as she tripped again. More quickly than the last time, she pushed herself to her feet, knowing that her palms were so badly scraped by the second fall that she bled on the carpet.

The next corner was so sharp that Riza had to press her hand against the wall to steady herself, leaving another print for the enemy to find.

Riza was getting tired, too. She could not keep this up for much longer. Her legs ached, her palms and knees stung even with the passing air, and her lungs were ready to burst.

"Found you!" the murderous voice shrieked behind her.

_Not for long. Not if I can help it._ Riza's adrenaline had kicked back in at the voice. She made it to the stairs, sprinting down the first half-flight and vaulting over the railing the second seven feet to the floor, though her body's protests were getting stronger.

So strong were they that, upon landing on the floor, Riza nearly collapsed. She managed to make it only to the nearest room, slam and bolt the door, and attempt to raise the window once before collapsing. Every part of her shook with exhaustion and fear.

As the door was smashed and the man entered the room slowly, as if to preserve the moment, Riza could not help but think, _Who am I fooling? If I don't get out of here now, I won't make it out alive!_ She reached for her gun, only to see it ten feet away on the floor, where it had skittered to after she had collapsed.

Grabbing a nearby board, Riza swung it at the window, shattering it. She was thrown down by the force pushed back on her, though.

The attacker saw his chance and swung.

The first _swoosh! _of air whizzed by her, the blade missing her by mere inches.

"I won't miss this time!" he crowed, readying to swing again.

The weapon whistled as it sliced the air. Riza knew it was right on target…

_Ka-thunk!_

Riza sat up, gasping. She was in her room, her pajamas soaked in sweat, and her sheets tangled around her. Hayate whined at her, coming over to lick her only when she motioned.

She noticed the clock. It was a little early yet, but she could use the extra time to calm her nerves. She passed the calendar, not really caring about the date. She already knew it, anyway.

"That's the last time they convince me to watch a horror movie marathon the night before Halloween," she muttered. "I might just have to stage a little production of my own today."

**A/N: I don't know if I really had you going until the very end, but anyway, the attacker isn't everyone's favorite cleaver-wielding suit of armor. Nope. In fact, who he is isn't important. That's why he has no name.**

**Omake:**

**(Later that morning… The first two lines should be familiar, by the way.)**

**Roy: So how was your night?**

**Riza: I've had better.**

**Havoc: Those movies didn't **_**scare**_** you, did they?**

**Riza: No. Come to my place tonight. Then you'll know what it means to be scared.**

**(That night…)**

**Riza: Now why are you all hiding behind the couch?**

**Havoc: (shivering) Chick flicks… the horror… **_**THE HORROR!**_

**Roy: I wanna go home!**

**Riza: (grins) Oh, you're not leaving. Not 'til this is done.**

**The men: Noooooooo!**


End file.
